Social Sciences
Admission to the Social Sciences Education Program
Due to enrollment caps, 25 students will be admitted annually. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Professional Education Program as set by the School of Education. You should complete at least 40% of the credits needed for the major or field of teacher certification before applying. You must apply simultaneously to the School of Education (for applications, see the Undergraduate Advising Office, 469 College of Professional Studies Building) and to the Department of History. The latter application will take the form of a Portfolio, to be submitted to the department office (477 CCC). Both applications will be due on the same date, depending on when you apply: September 22 in the fall semester or February 22 in the spring. If the deadline falls on a weekend, then applications are due on the previous Friday.
NOTE: The Social Science Enrollment cap policy will be changing as of September 2011.
To view the new enrollment cap policy
click here.
To view the new Social Science Rubric for the September 2011 applications
click here.
Portfolio Requirements
Your portfolio, bound in a three-ring notebook, must contain the following items:
- A table of contents.
- A letter of application indicating why you wish to pursue a career in teaching.
- One to three samples of writing that give evidence of critical thinking and knowledge of your discipline. These may encompass a variety of assignments, including term papers and/or exams. If applicable, at least one paper from a methods course within your major or field of certification (such as History 300) should be included. For each item, you should append a brief reflective paragraph describing what you learned from the assignment, or how it demonstrates your growth as a student and aspiring teacher.
- Additional material, if applicable. This might include evidence of tutoring, volunteer work in the public schools, or successful public speaking (such as letters of recommendation from UWSP faculty who have observed you making an oral presentation).
Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Professional Education Program as set by the School of Education. Applications are available in the School of Education Undergraduate Advising Office, 469 College of Professional Studies Building.
Evaluation of Applications
Your application will be evaluated by a committee of faculty from the Social Sciences departments. The committee will rank candidates and recommend admission based on the following criteria:
- Written and oral communication skills.
- Critical thinking and knowledge of discipline.
- GPA Sum: (GPA in the BFSS) x 2 + (overall GPA).
Because of enrollment caps, some students who satisfy expectations under the criteria above may not be admitted. You may apply only twice for admission to the Education Program, and you are entitled to appeal each time in the event your application is denied. Approximately one half of the annual enrollment cap will be admitted in the fall semester and one half in the spring.
Rubric
The Social Science Rubric
will be used by the Department of History in evaluating Social Science
applications to the Professional Education Program at UWSP.